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うやむや Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun
vague ; hazy ; unsettled ; indefinite
yojijukugo (four-character idiom) usually written using kana alone
Describes a situation, plan, or answer that is left unclear, unresolved, or deliberately ambiguous. Often used when something is allowed to remain undecided or is swept under the rug.
。
The issue remains unresolved.
Written forms うやむや Usage 85%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 有耶無耶 is ateji and rare.
ウヤムヤ Usage 11%
search-only kana form
Katakana form; search-only variant.
有う 耶や 無む 耶や Usage 4%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Kanji 無 nothingness, none, ain't Similar words 曖あい 昧まい 曖昧 is more about ambiguity or lack of clarity in meaning or expression, while うやむや emphasizes a situation being left unsettled or deliberately obscured.
不ふ 明めい 瞭りょう 不明瞭 is a more formal term for indistinctness or lack of clarity, often used for sounds, images, or statements, whereas うやむや is colloquial and often implies intentional vagueness or avoidance.
Etymology The origin is uncertain. The kanji 有耶無耶 are ateji, chosen for their sounds rather than meaning. The word may be related to the mimetic adverb うやうや (respectfully) or to the reduplicated pattern of むや (as in むやみに), but the exact derivation is unclear.
